My Little Yokai
by Silent Scribe
Summary: Sesshomaru was certain there was one more immune to Tenseiga's restoration properties, but who? One of the few Jaken fics.


_Author's Note: My goal is to reach fifty fanfics by the end of this year and this short was sitting in my hard-drive for a while now. Best of luck to Amara Anon and her completion of "30 Shards of Jaken." Even I tire of the eternally cute Rin and Sesshomaru stories. Here's to a beloved "little yokai."_

**Warning: Spoilers from deviations of manga chapters 468+ **

**My Little Yokai**

The Lady of the West stared down her nose at her bigheaded son. Not one hello, how are you? or farewell as he came and left. Just some fuss over a mortal brat. Her quick eye caught the other child. As soon as she ascertained he was only alive because of the Shikon shard in his back, she couldn't help noting, "Then you too are incapable of being saved by Tenseiga."

Sesshomaru shot a final glare over his shoulder, but his mother waved him off as if he were still being a child.

Truth be told, something else perturbed the Western Lord. A nagging question – wasn't there someone else who he'd revived with that blasted fang?

"Oh, and farewell to you too, little yokai!"

Jaken grumbled underneath his breath at the demeaning term. If she weren't his lordship's honored mother…

"Goshinki's head and that otter demon, I suppose."

"M'lord?" Jaken had no clue what his master muttered now. He was always so cryptic.

"Nothing. Let's go."

The toad-imp smiled at the level tone of Lord Sesshomaru's voice. Now if _he_ were to say "little yokai" it would not be irksome but musical. A lulling vibrato, Jaken was certain as he scuttled after the dog-demon, unaware of his liege's still crinkled brow.

oOo

"Master Jaken!"

Jaken rushed to in the direction of the familiar scream. Barely revived a second time and already stupid Rin was trying to get herself killed.

_I'm getting too old for this. It had better be real trouble this time!_

Jaken wasn't disappointed. The scorpion's stinger loomed menacingly but sailed back as a stream of flame scorched its tip.

"Kohaku, take Rin and run!" Jaken shrieked his orders without taking eyes off his foe. "Pathetic demon, over here!"

Of course, the scorpion had a different agenda. Seemingly eating up the ground before it, the arachnid swallowed up the distance between itself and its prey.

The Head Staff spun and a fiery barrier blazed forth.

"Pah! Mindless vermin, you'll – " Jaken never did finish his sentence. He remembered the sweeping stinger, the deafening crack of his own skull, and stillness.

oOo

Not a blade of grass was disturbed as Sesshomaru glided over to where he'd heard the commotion. All it took was a single slash and shredded exoskeleton was rendered motionless. Sesshomaru took a head count – two out of three. Where was…?

"Lord Sesshomaru, get Tenseiga! Master Jaken's not breathing!" Rin was tugging on his sleeve, but for some reason the daiyokai's legs wouldn't function. Worse yet, he was hearing things.

"Rin, answer me. Where is Jaken?" He would let his eyes claim that stagnant lump to where he now walked as his once bumbling retainer.

"Over there," she sniffed once, twice – a tear was trickling before Sesshomaru muttered, "Don't say it."

His claws cracked, but it wasn't anyone surrounding him he wanted to use them on. How could he let this happen? Of course, there was one more Tenseiga couldn't save and it was _his_ fault it had come to fruition. Like a fool, he'd let his guard down…again!

Suddenly, Sesshomaru felt a tiny pulse against his chest. It wavered once, then was accompanied by a cough.

Jaken groaned, but snuggled deeper into the fur what he assumed his dream had provided. There was the reverberation of "my little yokai" somewhere in the background though it wasn't a chirpy woman's voice at all.

"Jaken," Sesshomaru growled. "Why aren't you dead?"

"Huh?" The little demon abruptly felt himself dangling. Sesshomaru now held him by the back collar of his garments. "Ah, but, m-m'lord? Why would I be dead?"

Sesshomaru briskly turned his head away, not looking at his vassal. "I…some of us thought you may have been killed."

Jaken blinked and tried to follow where he thought his master's gaze was going. "Rin, you idiot! Did you really think that stupid scorpion could do me in? Bah! You are such a fool for worrying! Only a complete nitwit would think that! AWK!"

Jaken added the last as a thick-soled boot came crashing down on his spine, grinding him into the dirt.

"We mustn't waste any more time." Sesshomaru's tone was lofty once more, but he added something else under it.

"C-coming, m-m'lord," Jaken managed around a mouthful of earth. The little yokai's ears still rang, but he could have sworn he was hearing music.


End file.
